First Post!

Hello? Anyone out there?

So, this is my first post as a beauty blogger. Neat, right? As you can see in the "About Me" portion of the page, I started this blog to share ideas and offer help to anyone who likes the idea of doing their own hair, makeup and nails but doesn't know what to buy or how to get the look. I also love to shop, so I plan to post ideas for fun and affordable clothing, accessories and, obviously, shoes.


Where do I get ideas, you ask? How do I learn how to do the things I do? I watch the pros. I've always been good at putting together colors and patterns. I watch Project Runway, America's Next Top Model and What Not To Wear. I read Cosmo, Lucky, Glamour and Vogue, though not religiously. I check out other beauty blogs and venture to beauty supply stores. The usual places. I think the biggest key to anything is experimenting to find out what works.

I have always had a few challenges that caused me to have to find my own way. I have pale skin. Very pale. Not the pretty peaches and cream or porcelain a la Nicole Kidman or Alexis Bledel. Too many gingers in my family for that. I got strong pink undertones and freckles, giving me skin that burns and burns but never truly tans and looks pasty if I don't get a little sun. Foundation rarely matches. My hair isn't straight, but it isn't quite curly, so wash and go is never going to be an option without serious chemical treatment. I've gotten good at working with it, thankfully.

Now, enough about me. Let's get to the goods. That's why you're here, right?

Nails have been my most recent obsession. They're easy to experiment with and don't leave you with lasting effects like bad haircuts.

My stash. And my cat's feet. More on him later.

I cleaned out a bunch of old polish not long ago, and this is what remains. I naturally gravitate to pinks and purples, but I'm branching out.

I'm currently rocking a mani/pedi featuring Zoya's Caitlin.

Zoya describes Caitlin as "Smoky purple-tinged medium gray with smooth, opaque creme finish. Sultry, mysterious and impossibly chic, a shade that will have everyone intrigued."

I LOVE the color. Bright enough to be fun and interesting, but the grey base keeps it neutral enough to go with the week's wardrobe. The formula applies smoothly and Zoya's brushes are great. The brush is pretty compact, so it's easy to maneuver. The finish is awesome - You really don't NEED a topcoat. I use Beauty Secrets Moisturizing Base Coat and Top Coat (available at Sally Beauty Supply). I did my nails Monday night, and I'm still chip-free on Thursday.

I only recently discovered Zoya polishes, and I'm highly impressed so far. As a bargain shopper at heart, I balked a bit at the $8 per bottle price tag, but a 4-5 day manicure with no chips makes the price well worth it.

Taken in natural sunlight.

Look how shiny!

The flower was drawn with Art Club by Color Club Freesia Spirit and the center of the flower is Crystal Glitter.

Matching Pedi

You can click on the pictures to enlarge them to see more detail. Just don't look too closely at my toes...Is it just me, or to close-ups of your feet make you look like you are in desperate need of a foot scrub and moisturizer?